Police kill one, arrest 5 in bust of Haitian gang

Santo Domingo.- The National Police killed a Haitian and arrested five others who formed part of a gang of assailants charged in over 30 holdups and burglaries in the upscale sector of Arroyo Hondo and surrounding areas of the National District.

The detainees were identified as Michel Silvio (Lolo), Bladimir Sevilis, Juan Carlos Valencia, Luis Manuel de los Santos Valdez (Yampol) and Vodre Celicourt, the alleged head of the group.

The sixth suspect, identified only as “Pepo” was gunned down in Santo Domingo Este in what the police say was an exchange of gunfire with officers.

The Police said it seeks to arrest another individual identified as Franklin Pozo, who’s on the loose.

At the time of their arrest, both Celicour and Silvio ID cards that identify them as Haitian Police officers, whose validity is yet to be confirmed.

Police spokesman Frank Félix Durán said they waited for over a year for Haiti’s police to provide information that would lead to the capture of the gang members.

“This group had as its zone of influence the Arroyo Hondo sector. They located the house, mainly on weekends, if there were dogs they poisoned them and once they committed the deed immediately fled to Haiti, which made it difficult to identify or individualize each member.”